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Zzz Records

@zzzrecords.bsky.social
72 followers 2 following 51 posts

Zzz Records is Des Moines, Iowa's longest-running independent record store. Zzz has been selling records, tapes, and CDs since 2000, and is open seven days a week.

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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Crazy World of Arthur Brown “s/t” (1968) If I were in charge of a haunted house, I’d probably just put this album on repeat. “Fire” was the hit, but the whole album is solid. This includes a wildly fantastic cover of James Brown’s “I’ve Got Money”, too!
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Various “Red Hot + Blue” (1990) This looks like the kind of comp that would have sold about 12 copies. A fund-raiser for AIDS research, featuring musicians reimagining classic Cole Porter songs, including FYC, U2, kd Lang, Erasure, The Jungle Brothers, and a wild duet by Debbie Harry & Iggy Pop!?!
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
David Byrne & St. Vincent “Love This Giant” (2012) After the demise of Talking Heads, David Byrne made a number of unusual turns & was forgotten by many. But this unexpected collaboration really brought him back to the forefront for alt/indie rock fans. This remains a very solid album today.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Crowded House “Woodface” (1991) My favorite Crowded House LP! While not a flop by any means, this album should have much bigger in the US. I think Capitol did them a disservice by releasing “Chocolate Cake” as the lead single. It didn’t take off, and the momentum really fizzled.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
The Selecter “Too Much Pressure” (1980) I feel like U.S. fans of the 2 tone ska era gravitate towards Madness, The Specials, and The English Beat… but the Selecter’s debut might be my favorite album of the whole bunch. Lead vocalist Pauline Black is absolutely fantastic on this.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
New Order “Movement” (1981) This used to be my second favorite New Order album behind “Power, Corruption, & Lies”. However, I think over the years I have slowly elevated this to number one. There haven’t been many other albums like this in the past 45 years.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
The Reels “s/t” (1979) Australian act that took new wave to ridiculous levels. I really didn’t want to like this, as it feels like a sillier XTC with the keyboards almost diving into calliope territory. But side A, especially, is really good. Looks like this band was ignored in the states…
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Public Image Limited “Metal Box” (1979) This is the original version of what was later known as “Second Edition”. “Metal Box” was impractical, with three records packed into a metal film canister, and of course, insanely cool. Hard to find in the US, I bought my copy from my mass comm professor!
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Various “Live at the 101” (1983) Interesting snapshot of six different artists performing live in 1980 in front of maybe 12 people. It seems that this compilation was assembled after three of the bands – Thompson Twins, Wang Chung, and The Fixx – all started to have success on the charts.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
Deltron 3030 “s/t” (2000) If you’re a fan of the first Gorillaz record from 2001, then you should spring for this too. A supergroup of Del the Funkee Homosapien, Dan the Automator & Kid Koala composed these incredible 21 tracks about a soldier rebelling against higher forces a millennium from now.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Fishbone “s/t” (1985) Great ska/rock band that fell victim to bad timing. (After the British 2-tone explosion of the late 70s/early 80s, but before the third wave of the 90s). But they still toured relentlessly and gained a devoted following. The “? Modern Industry” video is highly recommended!
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
Flying Lizards “s/t” (1979) Classic no-wave record best known for their sparse cover of “Money (That’s What I Want).” Both ridiculous and catchy at the same time. My favorite track is “TV” where the male singer chants “I think you’re very, very, very…” but never quite gets to the adjective.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Various Artists “No Alternative” (1993) Compilations often get overlooked by music fans, but this one is timeless. this was a precursor to indie-rock’s dominance of the decade. Surprisingly, the 1-2 punch of Bob Mould & Sarah McLachlan might be the most powerful moment on here!
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Steve Winwood “Arc of a Diver” (1980) This LP kicked off Winwood’s series of successful solo albums through the 80s. This produced a big hit with “While You See a Chance”, but “Spanish Dancer” & “Night Train” should not be overlooked. Steve actually performed the instrumentation on all songs, too!
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
Screaming Blue Messiahs “Gun-Shy” (1986) Criminally overlooked, especially in the US, this was a really intense - but super-catchy and fun - London trio. David Bowie apparently called them his favorite band in several interviews in the late 80s. All 3 of their albums are worth picking up!
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Stevie Wonder “Innervisions” (1973) Rolling Stone ranked “Songs in the Key of Life” as 4th best album of all-time, but this isn’t far off. Best known for “Living for the City” and “Higher Ground” (on which he played all instruments), but there are absolutely no weak tracks here.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
Lilys “In the Presence of Nothing” (1992) Released about one year after “Loveless”, the debut album by Lilys starts by showing its devotion to My Bloody Valentine, etc. But side B mixes things up a bit — giving a glimpse of the big changes in styles for the band later in the decade.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
R.E.M. “Automatic for the People” (1992) We’ve built a solid younger customer base who have really embraced music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. But I feel like many of them have really overlooked REM’s catalog. This isn’t my top pick, but the yellow cassette version was really cool at the time.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
Pretenders “Pretenders II” (1981) My favorite Chrissie Hynde lyric comes off of the first song on side B, “Pack it Up”: “…and furthermore I don’t like your trousers your appalling taste in women and what about your mind your insipid record collection.” Btw, this whole record is great.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
The Chameleons “Strange Times” (1986) Oh my goodness… this atmospheric post-punk LP is jaw-dropping & the band is still active today. (Newest album comes out this Friday!). I believe a perfect song is one that makes you want to hear it again it immediately & there are several such tracks here.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
Roger Miller “Words & Music by Roger Miller (1966) I have to admit that I’m mostly only familiar with his earlier hit, “King of the Road”. But the opener “My Uncle Used to Live Me but She Died” is great and unusual for mid-60s country. Interestingly, there is one cover song (Heartbreak Hotel).
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 26/07/2025
The Cure “Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me” (1987) I love double albums that have no obvious weak songs, and this definitely qualifies. Robert Smith is the obvious star here, but holy cow… this rhythm section is so underrated and really drives the whole thing. I can’t recommend this album enough.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
Johnny Cash “What is Truth” (1970) Johnny recorded this at the height of the Vietnam War, as a tribute to young protestors… and later sang it to Richard Nixon in the White House without seeking approval first. An incredible song that charted high on pop & country lists, but never was on an LP.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
Mecca Normal “The Eagle & the Poodle” (1996) I never would have known about this Vancouver, BC duo had they not been on a Matador compilation in the late 90s. Powerful punk/indie with distinctive riot girl-ish vocals. This is the kind of 90s style of music that is way overdue for a revival.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 09/06/2025
Flying Saucer Attack “Further” (1995) 30 years after it’s initial release, this is still one of my all-time favorite LPs. Ambient, noisy, ethereal, folksy, and so much more. This may be one of the most accurately named bands in history! Highly recommended for anyone getting into shoegaze.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
Kitchens of Distinction “The Death of Cool” (1992) Let’s start pride month with a bang. Lyrically, KoD was not overly subtle about what it meant to be gay in the early 90s, but because it was paired with an (amazing) wave of psych/shoegaze, sometimes the message might have been missed.
youtu.be
Breathing Fear
YouTube video by Kitchens of Distinction - Topic
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
The Jacksons “Destiny” (1978) This record is an absolute blast. Taking cues from Stevie Wonder & Marvin Gaye, this is where the group really started to grow…And also set the stage for Michael’s breakout solo career.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
Controller.Controller “History” (2005) Paper Bag Records was an absolute force in the early part of this century (and the label still continues today). This Toronto act really fit well in the dance-punk craze of ‘05, but never quite caught on. Super-catchy w/ female vocals, the 1st of 2 releases.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Trio “Trio” (1997) This compilation was released in response to a popular Volkswagen commercial that featured the song “Da Da Da”. Trio had just the right mix of humor and Casio keyboards. This was never meant to win a Grammy, but it’s an interesting slice of German new wave circa 1981 to 1983.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
Sexwitch “Sexwitch” (2015) I just recently discovered the UK band Toy. In 2015 they collaborated with Natasha Khan (of Bat for Lashes) on this six song trance/psych rock EP. This might be what the Black Angels would sound like if they were from Islamabad instead of Austin. Fun, hypnotic stuff!
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 05/04/2025
Essra Mohawk “Primordial Lovers” (1970) Essra was barely 20 years old when this LP was released. What made her different from Carole King or Joni Mitchell was that she spent enough time with Zappa & The Mothers to infuse just the right amount of odd/baroque pop into her songs. RIYL Fiona Apple.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 27/03/2025
Laika “Silver Apples of the Moon” (1994) Another oft-overlooked mid 90s trip-hop classic; however, this band barely got noticed in the U.S. Strangely enough, I caught wind of it from some shoegaze internet message boards. There was a lot of crossover then (i.e. Seefeel, Bowery electric, etc.)
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
Gang of Four “Solid Gold” (1981) I would argue this is another example of an album that is more relevant in 2025 than it was on its release date. A Minimal post-punk classic exploring the pitfalls of capitalism and possible collapse of society in general. Often with a dance beat, too! 🙂
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 09/03/2025
Trans Am “Futureworld” (1999) This Maryland post rock/electronic quartet had an incredible run with their first 5 LPs. This out of print LP is mostly instrumental, but adds the occasional vocoder to make it interesting. If Kraftwerk had started 25 years later, it might have sounded like this!
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
Herman’s Hermits “Both Sides Of” (1966) I’m not a *big* fan of these guys, but this album is just plain fun. “This Door Swings Both Ways” hit #12 in the U.S., but “My Reservation’s Been Confirmed” is quite the rocker. Side B features several British pub sing-a-long type songs, just for fun.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
Midnight Oil “Blue Sky Mining” (1990) One of the best punk bands ever… but disguised as a radio-friendly Australian alternative rock band. This album is not only still relevant, but feels almost prophetic 35 years later - no matter where you live on Earth.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
UI “Answers” (2002) In 2002, our then-weekly alternative newspaper (Cityview) asked if I would be willing to review albums for them. I agreed to do it pro-bono and gave this a positive review for my 2nd submission. I don’t think it was quite what they were looking for & they never asked again! 😐
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
Neneh Cherry/The Thing “Cherry Thing” (2012) Neneh has really flown under the radar in the U.S. for decades, but I’m a big fan. But even *I* wasn’t prepared for this LP w/ this Scandinavian jazz trio. Includes covers by Suicide, Madvillain, etc + some originals. Avant-garde fun!!!
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
Eurythmics “Be Yourself Tonight” (1985) This often gets overshadowed by “Sweet Dreams” and “Touch”, but this is my top pick. Three monster hits on side A (including the top 5 “Would I lie to You?”) but side B is incredible in itself. Definitely check out “Adrian”, the Elvis Costello collab!
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
Wire “154” (1979) Post-punk is a tricky genre, but this might be my favorite of the whole bunch. This is harsh, artsy, confusing, and yet super-catchy and fun. As an added bonus, the song “Map Ref. 41N 93W” actually has an unexpected Iowa connection!
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
Chris Isaak “Heart Shaped World” (1989) Most casual fans know “Wicked Game”, his only US top 40 hit (!), but this whole album is solid. Shades of Duane Eddy, Roy Orbison, and a bunch of early blues guitarists. Isaak was a breath of fresh air in 1989, and still sounds timeless in the mid ‘20s.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 26/01/2025
Looper “Up a Tree” 1999 I saw this Scottish indie/electronic act open for Flaming Lips in 2000. We carried it at Zzz 25 years ago for just $9.32! Honestly, I’d forgotten about them but this is not a bad record at all. If you would prefer Gorillaz without hip hop influences, this might be for you.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
Beach Boys "20/20" (1969) "Pet Sounds" gets most of the attention from casual fans, for good reason, but their 1967-1972 period is really incredible too. This LP opens with the 1-2 punch of "Do it Again" and "I Can Hear Music", and closes w/ the amazing "Cabinessence" (Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks).
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
Various artists “Sun City” (1985) There were many benefit records in the 80s; most seemed to be haphazardly thrown together. This solid comp drew attention to Nelson Mandela and apartheid policies in South Africa. This is a juggernaut LP with top rappers, reggae and rock stars and *Miles Davis*.
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Zzz Records @zzzrecords.bsky.social · 15/12/2024
Thanks for following us on BlueSky! After some contemplation, I’ve decided to feature some albums that I enjoy but I also feel have been forgotten, overlooked, or underrated. First up is Seal’s debut/self titled CD from 1991. Not quite dance music, not quite R&B… very unique for the time.
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